FOURTH EDITION FOURTH EDITION KRAKÓW 2019 KRAKÓW 2019

A EUROPEAN STUDENT MAGAZINE A EUROPEAN STUDENT MAGAZINE

DESIGNED IN KRAKÓW DESIGNED IN KRAKÓW

YEUROPE TIMES

2 Kraków 2019

The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the

contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use

which may be made of the information contained therein.

YEUROPE TIMES NO. 4

Editorial board Editorial

As a part of the EU, we have to take care of sustainable

development and let each member state to grow itself.

Sustainable development can be classified as deve-

lopment that meets the needs of the present without

compromising the ability of future generations. The desi-

red result of it is a state of society where living condi-

tions and resource continue to meet human needs witho-

ut undermining the integrity and stability of the natural

system.

Pupils from Estonia (TALLINNA 21. KOOL), Germany

(CARL-ZEISS-OBERSCHULE), Spain (INS JOAN BROS-

SA), Italy (LICEO SCIENTIFICO STATALE CAMILLO

CAVOUR) and Poland (XI LICEUM OGÓLNOKSZTAŁ-

CĄCE IM. MARII DĄBROWSKIEJ) took part in the fifth

international meeting in Kraków. This time we worked

on several articles which the main topic was sustainable

development. We participated in workshops during

which we learnt how to influence society by changing

our lifestyle. The workshops involved a first aid course,

having a meeting with volunteers from „Stawiamy na

łapy” - an animal shelter, and making homemade cosme-

tics. We learnt a lot about accessible ways of helping the

environment. Besides, we visited museums, went on

a city tour guided by polish students and we could also

take a look at some of picturesque Kraków’s districts.

We hope you will feel the vibe of our lively meeting.

Enjoy the magazine!

Germany:

Victoria Adamietz

Clea Koch

Lilian Althaus

Janina Gutschmidt

Luise Jonietz

Estonia:

Mona Maria Tammik

Johanna Maria Randma

Mia Emilie Valtenberg

Salme Vesingi

Andry Kenert Pedak

Orm Tammemäe

Italy:

Petra Camilli

Sara Fabrizi

Andrea Gennari

MartaRando

Giorgio Ricciardi

Libera Elisa Totaro

Michela Viele

Spain:

Alex Errando Ruiz

Marina Cabrera Carrasco

Andrea Fernández Reyes

Zoe Luque Miralpeix

Laura Martínez Gelón

Alexia Andaman Fernández Wybihal

Poland:

Stefania Andrzejewska

Bartosz Brzeszcz

Patryk Chmielewski

Małgorzata Chmielowska

Oliwia Czerniak

Aleksandra Duda

Natalia Duda

Paweł Górniak

Wiktoria Kasperczyk

Julia Konieczna

Filip Konopka

Dagmara Kopacz

Kinga Kowal

Miłosz Lis

Ewelina Markowska

Kinga Płonka

Maria Rusek

Wiktoria Rybotycka

Natalia Siemińska

Natalia Stryszewska

Maja Sum

Marlena Trafiał

Szymon Wieczorek

Adrian Wójcik

Michał Miczulski

Julia Rojek

YEUROPE TIMES

3 Kraków 2019

Index

Sustainable Development

The natural environment sustains the life of all beings universally.

Dalai Lama

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS 2030

REET AUS - IF YOU CAN'T DO IT ETHICALLY, DON'T DO IT AT ALL!

CAN YOU BE TRENDY AND ECO-FRIENDLY?

EARTHSHIP: A HOUSE BUILT WITH OLD CAR TIRES

WE ARE POISONED BY PLASTIC!

For the last years, the topic of sustainability is booming,

because of the great havoc that is happening on the pla-

net, such as climate change, economic instability, de-

struction of ecosystems resulting in the extinction of spe-

cies and armed conflicts. The first part of this magazine

is about sustainability, eco-friendly corporations and

ways to prevent more natural disasters or socio-

economic conflicts.

Countries & Politics

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION IN THE TATRY MOUNTAINS

INTERVIEW WITH THE PRIMER MINISTER OF ECONOMICS OF

ESTONIA

ACCIONA, A SPANISH CORPORATION PIONEERING IN SUSTAINA-

BLE SOLUTIONS

OUR FUTURE IN EUROPE?

WHAT DO YOU MEAN THAT THIS ISN’T MEAT?

This section is focused on issues concerning each nation.

It includes articles about the newest changes and im-

provements made by countries who made sustainability

of Europe their priority. One can read an interview with

an Estonian politician as well as informational articles

from other countries.

Culture & Science

ARCHITECTURE FOR A CLEANER WORLD

WE CANNOT TURN A BLIND EYE TO THE TRUTH

WHEN THE HEARTS GROW BIGGER

A SEA OF PLASTIC

STUDENT COMPANIES

Although topics chosen for this section are miscellaneo-

us, they all can inspire us to change our way of life. Spe-

cifically, there are articles about a student company,

a charity organization, a new approach to architecture,

a review of a known documentary and about the immen-

sity of plastic pollution.

Leisure & Entertainment

INTERVIEW WITH LUDOVICO CANTISANI

VEGAN LEMON CAKE

ECOLOGICAL URBAN GARDENS

LET’S DO IT

POLISH SUMMER FESTIVALS

The articles from the last section will give you ideas to

fill your free time. In it one can find out about the citiz-

en’s initiative in Estonia, eco-friendly gardens in Spain,

and festivals in Poland. For foodies, there is also a recipe

for some vegan lemon cake from Germany. There is also

a crossword.

MADE IN KRAKÓW

Two articles inspired by workshops that took place during the Transnational Meeting in Cracow.

IT IS BETTER TO GIVE THAN TO TAKE

“WHAT CAN YOU DO FOR ME” - MOTHER EARTH

YEUROPE TIMES

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SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Sustainable Development Goals 2030

The United Nations defined 17 su-

stainable development goals and 169

tasks related to goals to be comple-

ted by 2030. Objectives are major

challenges for the world. The range

includes challenges such as poverty,

hunger, health, education, gender

equality, climate change, sustainable

development, peace and social justi-

ce.

Sustainable Development Goals:

Goal 1: Eliminate poverty

in all its forms around the

world - Every year, the

poverty indicator decre-

ases. This is amazing achievement.

Poverty is not just a lack of resources

for living. Poverty that famine,

malntitrion, lack eductaion, major

service and social discrimination.

Goal 2: Eliminate hunger,

achieve food security and

better nutrition, and pro-

mote sustainable agricul-

ture - Currently, soil, drinking wa-

ter, oceans, forests they increase one

risk in the event of natural disasters.

Many people living in the countrysi-

de are no longer able to maintain

their jobs in agriculture and are for-

ced to move to the city in search of

another job.

Goal 3: Provide a healthy

life for all people of all

ages and promote well-

being - A big step has been

taken in this direction, significant

progress in increasing access to clean

water and adequate sanitary condi-

tions, reduction of malaria, tubercu-

losis, polio and spread of

HIV / AIDS.

Goal 4: Provide high qu-

ality education for all and

promote lifelong learning -

Education is the basis for

improving people's lives and susta-

inable development. Significant pro-

gress has been made in increasing

access to education for all. The num-

ber of people who already have the

ability to write and read has incre-

ased.

Goal 5: Achieve gender

equality and empower

women and girls - Gender

equality is not only

a universal human right, it is also

the foundation of a sustainable

world in which people will live in

peace and prosperity. Ensuring wo-

men and girls equal access to educa-

tion, health care and decent work

and to participate in political and

economic matters will strengthen

sustainable economies and benefit

societies and all mankind.

Goal 6: Provide all people

with access to water and

sanitation through susta-

inable water resource ma-

nagement - We have enough water

in the world that everyone has ac-

cess to it. However, due to poor eco-

nomy and infrastructure. Every year,

millions of people, especially chil-

dren, die from diseases related to

inadequate water resources, sanita-

tion and lack of hygiene.

Goal 7: Provide everyone

with access to stable, su-

stainable and modern

energy at an affordable

price - Balance energy is a chance for

a better future, because it can trans-

form human life, entire economies,

and even our planet.

Goal 8: Promote stable,

balanced and inclusive

economic growth, full and

subordinate employment

and decent work for all people -

About half of the world's population

still lives on the equivalent of two

US dollars a day. In too many pla-

ces, having a job does not protect

you from poverty.

Goal 9: Build stable infra-

structure, promote susta-

inable industrialization

and support innovation -

About half of the world's population

still lives on the equivalent of two

US dollars a day. In too many pla-

ces, having a job does not protect

you from poverty.

Goal 10: Reduce inequali-

ties in countries and be-

tween countries - Al-

though we managed to

reduce income inequality between

countries, this inequality has intensi-

fied within individual countries. It is

becoming increasingly clear that eco-

nomic growth alone is not enough to

reduce the scale of poverty. It is ne-

cessary for every human being to

benefit from economic progress ba-

sed on the three pillars of sustaina-

ble development - economic, social

and environmental.

Goal 11: Make cities and

human settlements safe,

stable, sustainable and

inclusive - Cities are cen-

ters of culture and science, industry

and productivity as well as social

development, and new ideas are

born here. As the city flourishes,

people benefit from social and eco-

nomic development.

Goal 12: Ensure patterns

of sustainable consump-

tion and production - Su-

stainable consumption and

production strive to "do something

better and more with less." It leads

to an increase in the net benefits of

economic activity by reducing the

consumption of funds and reducing

the scale of degradation and pollu-

tion, while improving the quality of

life.

Goal 13: Take urgent ac-

tion to combat climate

change and its consequen-

ces - Current climate chan-

ge is felt in every country on all con-

tinents. People experience the se-

rious effects of climate change, inclu-

ding changes in weather, water

levels and extreme weather events.

Goal 14: Protect oceans,

seas and marine resources

and use them sustainably -

Rainwater, drinking water,

weather and climate, coastlines, a lot

of our food, and even the oxygen we

breathe, depend on the seas that act

YEUROPE TIMES

5 Kraków 2019

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

as a regulator. For centuries, the sea

and oceans have been leading im-

portant trade and transport routes.

Goal 15: Protect, restore

and promote the sustaina-

ble use of terrestrial eco-

systems, sustainable forest

management, combat desertification,

restrain and reverse the soil degra-

dation process and halt the loss of

biodiversity - Forests cover 30% of

the Earth's surface. They provide

food security and shelter for diffe-

rent animals, but they also play a

key role in combating climate chan-

ge among others.

Goal 16: Promote peaceful

and inclusive societies,

ensure access to justice for

all people and build effec-

tive and accountable, inclusive insti-

tutions at all levels - this objective is

devoted to ensuring access to justice

for all people and building effective

and responsible institutions at all

levels.

Goal 17: Strengthen im-

plementation measures

and revive the global part-

nership for sustainable

development - Partnerships should

be built on principles and values,

a shared vision and common goals

that put man and the planet at the

center of action. We need such part-

nerships at global, regional, national

and local levels.

The adoption by the UN General

Assembly of the new development

agenda and its seventeen sustainable

development goals is the first step to

reach the world-wide goals in order

to reach the situation of billions of

people around the world in the co-

ming years.

The new agenda for the deve-

lopment of the world is universal,

and the responsibility for its imple-

mentation lies with us, the entire

international community, both in

developed and developing nations

as well as in international organiza-

tions that connect them all together.

An important role in achieving the

goals for 2030 will also have a priva-

te sector and non-governmental or-

ganizations.

Ewelina Markowska

More information

Reet Aus - If you can't do it ethically, don't do it at all!

Reet Aus is a well-known fashion

designer and the leader of upcycling

fashion production in Estonia. She is

the owner of one the most environ-

mentally friendly companies in Eu-

rope and considered to be one of the

top European female entrepreneurs.

Her aim is to provide an alternative

to major clothing brands, for people

who want to dress ethically and be

mindful about the aftermath of mass

production.

She and her team have worked out

a method based on the upcycling

production, which makes the most

of textile leftovers by redesigning

the products and reshaping the pro-

duction process. Each item they pro-

duce uses on average 70% less water

and 88% less energy compared to

regularly mass-produced items. The

production line using the upcycling

method was named Upmade® and

certified in December 2014.

Her most famous designs are the Up

-Shirts. One Up-Shirt saves on avera-

ge 91% water, 87% energy and pro-

duces 80% less CO2. Every Up-Shirt

is produced out of textile leftovers in

Bangladesh and in India helping to

significantly reduce the amount of

waste ending up in landfills and

thus reduce the environmental foot-

print in the fashion industry.

She even designed a special Up-Shirt

for the World Clean-Up Day and her

goal was to salvage 5 tons of textile

leftovers. If you can't do it ethically,

don't do it at all!

Johanna Maria Randma

YEUROPE TIMES

6 Kraków 2019

Can you be trendy and eco-friendly?

This article is about the consequen-

ces of being fashionable because the

textile industry is the second most

contaminant industry. This is due to

the required amount of water ne-

eded by the textile industry (more

than 93,000 million of cubic metres

of water) and it is also due to the

enormous amount of microfiber that

is thrown away into the oceans (half

a ton of microfibers is equivalent to

3 million barrels of petrol). In addi-

tion, the fashion industry produces

more carbon dioxide that all the in-

ternational flights and shipping. The

so-called “fast fashion” has lots of

negative effects (economical, envi-

ronmental and also social).

Some fashion producers and consu-

mers are trying to take initiatives to

change the garment industry and

implement a sustainable business

model. They begin to integrate su-

stainability principles into their busi-

ness strategies. For example, the glo-

bal chain H&M has adopted

a garment collection scheme, others

use recycled materials such as tar-

paulins and safety belts of trucks to

make bags and backpacks. The foun-

der of Novel Supply won the UN

environmental prize "Champions of

the Earth" in its youth category for

designing a model with recyclable

materials and finding solutions for

the waste produced by the manufac-

turing process.

The UN wants to make the fashion

industry more environmentally

friendly because this industry relies

on non-renewable energies (such as

coal and natural gas) to produce the

electricity and the heat that it needs.

The only way to make the retail tra-

de sustainable is to eradicate over-

purchases of clothes.

The UN considers that by promoting

certain measures such as best care-

taking of clothes and recycling them

we could reduce the emissions of

greenhouse gases as a consequence

of overproduction of clothes. It’d be

all about converting fashion retail

economy into a circular economy.

We think that excessive consume-

rism is something that has been

happening for a long time, and it’s

really affecting our planet. And this

phenomena happens not only in the

clothes industry, we don’t use the

items we buy until they’re broken or

worn out, and if they do break up

we don’t try to fix them, we prefer

to purchase a new one. This is le-

ading to a bigger production of

items and wasting. We need to pro-

mote the reuse of the items, in order

to avoid the massive purchases.

In conclusion, we have to reschedule

our lifestyle, how we consume and

where we buy and we have to press

the governments to pass laws aga-

inst business that pollute the envi-

ronment, and make them change to

a renewable and non-contaminant

workstyle.

David Ordóñez

More information

Earthship: A house built with old car tires

This article is about a life in an envi-

ronmentally friendly house. But how

does it work? Does it simplify

living? How ecological is it? What

else can you make of old car tires?

And what is an Earthship?

First of all, Mike Reynolds is the

inventor of this building idea. In

1970, the first Earthship was success-

fully built. Usually it costs between

2.000 and 8.000 US dollars, but if it is

built by Mike Reynolds, it might cost

between 200.000 and 500.000 US dol-

lars. The Earthship mostly consists

of waste materials. Three walls are

completely built from car tires, so

the house isolates itself. The so-

uthern side is almost completely

made of glass. That is good for cre-

ating a greenhouse, where you can

plant vegetables, fruits, or herbs.

Actually, the Earthship is like a real

ship – independent from water and

electricity because it has solar cells

on its roof. Furthermore, you benefit

from wind energy to power the Ear-

thship. But on the roof, there is more

than just the energy sources: it also

transports the rainwater to a water

filter. Then again, this water is used

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

YEUROPE TIMES

7 Kraków 2019

to flush the toilet which is connected

with a cesspit right behind the hou-

se. Plants are used to filter the water.

So you can say the Earthship is pret-

ty eco. Living in an Earthship might

not be that simple, but it is also not

much harder than living in a normal

house. Obviously, it is easy to trans-

form car tires into a whole new ob-

ject, too. There are so many things

you can do with car tires like bicycle

stands, armchairs, swings, flower

boxes, and much more.

In conclusion, I would like to answer

the questions from above. The Ear-

thship works mainly with waste ma-

terials like car tires or cans. That me-

ans for us: we have to start recycling

our rubbish and stop polluting our

homes. At the very beginning, it mi-

ght not be too easy to live that way,

but it is worth it. You have to inter-

pret “eco” for yourself and decide if

that is the way you want to live. You

can create everything with car tires

because there are no limits for your

creativity. Last but not least, an Ear-

thship might be a big step towards

a greener world. So let’s start being

ECO.

Lilian Althaus,

Clea Koch

More information

We are poisoned by plastic!

Nowadays, more than 80% of sea

rubbish is made of plastic, the ratio

between plastic and fishes is 3:1.

Even if it doesn’t seem, this material

is very dangerous because it has

a slow decomposition, it’s needed

about 450 years for the degradation

of a plastic bottle. Nevertheless, this

material is used for most of the sin-

gle-use objects that we use and then

we throw away every day. Plastic

trash is eaten by fishes that after that

arrived on our table and we eat

them, with no worries.

Plastic is becoming a real poison and

trouble for our future. It’s started

a fight against plastic that has the

objective to use alternative material

and that force the EU Parliament to

ban single-use plastic. It’s possible to

state: “Good-bye single-use plastic!”.

From 2021 there will be a European

Directive which will permit us to

reduce plastic pollution. The first

point is to ban or reduce the produc-

tion of ten single-use plastic pro-

ducts which represent 70% of rub-

bish in the sea: single-use plastic

cutlery (forks, knives, spoons and

chopsticks), single-use plastic plates,

plastic straws, cotton bud sticks ma-

de of plastic, plastic balloon sticks,

oxo-degradable plastics and food

containers and expanded polystyre-

ne cups. All these products need to

be produced by ecological material.

Talking about plastic bottles, the EU

wants to collect 90% of them until

2029, meanwhile, they have to be

produced by biodegradable mate-

rials.

Who pollutes will start paying. Inde-

ed, all the producers need to contri-

bute to cover the expense of mana-

gement and waste recycling.

This UE direction can be considered

as an antidote against this poison

made by plastic, because its utiliza-

tion took over, only in Italy 100 kg of

plastic by each one has been produ-

ced every year. About 35 kg of these

is packaging waste that we buy to

throw away. In order to solve this

problem, it’s important to follow this

UE directive which will bring envi-

ronmental benefits, it will avoid the

emission of 3,4 tonnes of CO2 in the

atmosphere, and also economic be-

nefits, for example, the saving of 6,5

billion of euro for the consumers.

However, the most important thing

to do is to buy as little as possible

plastic, because it is going to finish

in our stomach!

Michela Viele

HOW LONG DOES

IT TAKE FOR

YOUR TRASH TO

BREAK DOWN

IN THE OCEAN?

FRUIT PEEL - 2 weeks

CIGARETTE BUTT - 1-5 years

PLASTIC BAG - 10-20 years

SODA CAN - 80-100 years

PLASTIC BOTTLE - 450 years

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

YEUROPE TIMES

8 Kraków 2019

COUNTRIES & POLITICS

Environmental protection in the Tatry Mountains

Tatry are the highest mountain

range belonging to the Carpathians.

They are located in the south of Po-

land and constitute the natural bor-

der of the state. The area has Tatra

National Park. It is the only area in

our country with unique alpine

fauna and flora. This is one of the

reasons why thousands of tourists

visit this region every year. The Na-

tional Park, in addition to learning

about the natural and cultural heri-

tage, enables summer and winter

holidays in the mountains with the

possibility of skiing, snowboarding,

ski tourism, rock climbing, walking

and cycling along dedicated routes.

Unfortunately, the negative impact

of tourism on the environment is

also noticeable. The development of

tourism in protected areas cannot

proceed without problems. People

not only make noise and scare ani-

mals, but they also litter the environ-

ment.

What factors affect environmental

degradation?

This may seem obvious, but not eve-

ryone is aware that the development

of tourism in protected areas is not

only a problem in the Polish moun-

tains but also a global one. Excessive

and bad industry expansion badly

affects the environment. The degra-

dation of the natural world is grow-

ing. Natural vegetation has been

degraded, and many indigenous

species have been replaced by intro-

duced trees and plants. Some popu-

lations of mammals are at risk.

Streams that once were crystal clear

now are very polluted. Scientific re-

search has shown that there are

many bacteria in these waters, such

as Salmonella. The air we breathe in

the mountains is full of chemical

compounds from the industrial envi-

ronments of Silesia, the Czech Re-

public, and Slovakia. The Office of

the Tatra National Park is constantly

looking for illegal dumps that are

located in nearby cities. The terrible

degradation of the mountain envi-

ronment, which should be a health

resort and an oasis of rest and peace,

is anxiety. Therefore, every visitor

should stop this process as soon as

possible.

So how to deal with this problem?

Above all, we should raise the social

awareness of this problem through

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COUNTRIES & POLITICS

Interview with the Primer Minister of Economics of Estonia

Regarding the sustainability of the

European and Estonian economy

and environmental protection,

I interviewed the former Minister of

Environment of Estonia Siim Val-

mar Kiisler.

How have the economical decisions

made by Estonian Government du-

ring the last two years affected the

environment?

Decisions made by the government

during the last two years that have

had the biggest impact on the envi-

ronment are the changes made in the

fields of energy and transportation -

the Electricity Market Act, the Liqu-

id Fuel Act etc. Further benefits for

the production of renewable energy

(sun, wind, etc) have been esta-

blished as well as the share of biofu-

els in transportation has become

mandatory. Also, the system of envi-

ronmental charges for oil shale was

changed in the Environmental Char-

ges Act. The amount of renewable

energy usage is increasing and the

amount of fossil fuels usage is decre-

asing in Estonia. 90 percent of re-

newable energy is still wood but the

share of wind and sun is incre-

asing.The main impact is cleaner air

and lowr emossion of the greenhou-

se gases.

How much and how should the

Government intervene in the pro-

tection of the environment?

The Government should establish

restrictions to avoid pollution but

these restrictions must be reasonably

proportionate. Direct pollution must

be prohibited. At the same time,

strict restrictions on the esta-

blishment of protected areas has to

be fairly compensated for the lan-

downers.

Do you think that the state should

impose harsh sanctions on environ-

mental sustainability or rather con-

tribute to raising people's aware-

ness?

Violating the law by polluting and

destroying the nature must be stric-

tly forbidden and in case of compa-

nies, the fines must be propotionate

with the overall income of the com-

pany. Criminal punishment of se-

rious infringements of the law must

be strictly implemented. Usually, the

question is not about the lack of

awareness but rather about the com-

mpanies' will to make money illegal-

ly. At the same time, it is necessary

to raise people's awareness of the

environmental impact of their daily

tivities. A good example of this is

sorting the garbage and recycling

the plastic packages.

How high is the level of Estonia's

environmental protection compared

to other European countries?

Estonia's environmental protection

is generally pretty good. As over

half of the territory is woodland, we

have many protected areas. Estonia

has a large variety of species compa-

red to other European countries, we

have many species of animals and

plants that are rare or absent el-

sewhere in the EU. Our air is one of

the cleanest in the European Union.

What innovative solutions have

been implemented in Estonia in the

last two years?

We support environmental start-ups

through incubators and support pro-

grams.We created a legislative

option to produce oil from old tires

in the shale oil production process.

And, of course, our entire e-

government is very environmentally

friendly. Also, the fact that 98% of

social services can get done via In-

ternet, greatly reduces the detrimen-

tal effect of transport on the enviro-

nement.

Mona Maria Tammik

radio, television and the Internet. All

precautions should be taken, such as

high fines for destroying the natural

ecosystem or planting air-filtering

plants.

“Czyste Tatry”

It is the initiative organized every

year in Poland, which aims to im-

prove the situation in Tatry by col-

lecting rubbish and leaving the

mountains thoroughly cleaned. This

year, the 8th edition will be held.

Before volunteers set off for the

trails, they can enjoy the various

events and workshops that take

place there. This will certainly help

promote the need to care for moun-

tains and to think about the problem

of anthropological environmental

degradation. Fortunately, the initia-

tive is relatively popular and many

people take part in cleaning the

mountains. It is therefore important

to pay attention to the sustainable

development of tourism in protected

areas to ensure the protection of eco-

systems so that we will be able to

enjoy this natural beauty for many

years.

Adrian Wójcik,

Filip Konopka

More information

YEUROPE TIMES

10 Kraków 2019

Acciona, a Spanish corporation pioneering

in sustainable solutions

ACCIONA is a Spanish conglomera-

te group with a business model bu-

ilt around sustainability and the ob-

jective of responding successfully to

the biggest global challenges, such

as global warming, overpopulation

and water scarcity. Challenges faced

by those who design solutions in

renewable energy, resilient infra-

structure, management and treat-

ment of water and services. With

a presence in more than 40 countries

of the 5 continents, it develops its

business activity under the commit-

ment of designing a better planet,

contributing in this way to the susta-

inable development of the communi-

ties where it operates through clean

energies, infrastructures, water and

services.

The viral and newest video they just

released explains how Spain has

changed and how it is going to chan-

ge until the year 2100, when the cli-

mate change will be irreversible. The

video shows that Spain is the coun-

try that will experience the worst

problems of climate change due to

the temperatures of our cities have

increased the double compared to

the rest of countries in Europe. They

also warn that if we do not make

a change in 10 years, the problems

won’t decrease. Even so, in this vide-

o they propose lots of solutions for

our country. They insist that Spain is

one of the best countries that can

take advantage of the renewable

energies like windmills or solar pa-

nels because our climate is perfect

for them, so the video encourages

people to make an action: demand

from their government laws that

forces factories to switch to renewa-

ble energies.

We loved this video because of the

message: they are direct, they show

you how Spain is right now and

how it can get worse, but the best of

all is that they motivate you to do

something to stop the climate chan-

ge getting worse. We think that it is

a video that every person in our co-

untry should see.

Anna Garcia,

Alba Gimenez

More information

Our Future in Europe?

From the 23rd until the 26th of May

2019, the elections to the EU-

Parliament took place.

The political parties CDU/CSU

(Germany), Lega (Italy), The Socia-

list (Spain), PiS (Poland), and the

Estonian Liberals won most of the

seats in the Parliament.

They have many new plans for the

future of Europe.

They want to make the EU a better

and safer place to live with new ru-

les about work, payment, trade, fi-

ght, learning, have a word, safety

and prosecuting criminals.

The plans are to never ever have

a war with eachother within the Eu-

ropean countries.

To get a joint treasury secretary for

the euro zone.

Freedom of establishment for every

EU-citizens in the whole union, eve-

ry citizen can work where he/she

wants.

If one the the European counties gets

in a economic crisis and troubles, the

increasing rate of unemployment

people can be decreased in a com-

COUNTRIES & POLITICS

YEUROPE TIMES

11 Kraków 2019

What do you mean that this isn’t meat?

There is no planet B, but the Earth

conditions are not the best in our

days. Pollution, water shortage and

species extinction are some of the

problems at the moment. Those are

caused, among many things, by ani-

mal breeding.

The meat consume has increased

exponentially in the last fifty years

and so have the environmental pro-

blems related to it. Even animal fe-

eding causes disadvantages: in order

to create cultivations for the animal

feeding forest and woods are con-

stantly cut down. In this way, the

trees can not absorb and convert the

CO2 during the chlorophyll photo-

synthesis. In addiction when they

die they are burned and the carbon

dioxide is released all at once in the

atmosphere. In conclusion, we

should decrease the meat consump-

tion, but it is difficult for many peo-

ple because they really like steak

and sausages. So, how can we save

the planet without sacrificing what

we like?

Good news for you: a solution has

been found! Beyond meat has inven-

ted a new kind of food which tastes

exactly like animal meat. They star-

ted by thinking why can not you

build meat from plants. It may so-

und crazy but as they found out, it is

possible.

Beyond meat, it is not the classic

vegan food company because their

products have exactly the same taste

and look of the real meat. The vegan

meat substitutes are made from

a mixture of various proteins, coco-

nut oil, potatoes starch, apple

extract, sunflowers lecithin, pome-

granate powder and some other in-

gredients including vitamins and

minerals. All those are mixed and

cooked in a food extrusion machine

that uses steam, pressure and cold

water to form the meat-like texture.

However, these products are not

a nutritionally healthier alternative,

according to some experts from the

University of Ottawa. A frequent

consumer of this “meat” may cause

several health-related problems as

mood swings, depression and can-

cer.

Even if this project has to be develo-

ped and further studies have to be

done, it is still a start which creates

a glimpse of hope forward a better

planet.

Sara Fabrizi,

Agnese Fachin

munal way.

A common labor outhority which

provides fairness within the union.

The citizens are allowed to vote for

transnational parties.

The euro zone gets the same curren-

cy (€) and trough the ECB ( Europe-

an Central Bank) a common moneta-

ry policy.

They want the border controls to

completely abolish within the EU.

Our safety from international terrori-

stic acts is a safe Europe, the Europe-

an Counterterrorism center should

be better required, to pursue better

Terrorism across borders.

European asylum authority which

process asylum applications faster

and unified.

One of the most successfully Euro-

pean plan which got realized until

now, is the Erasmus-exchange-

program for students in the EU.

Victoria Adamietz

COUNTRIES & POLITICS

YEUROPE TIMES

12 Kraków 2019

It is better to give than to take

Homeless animals - especially cats

and dogs are one of the biggest and

most eye-catching problems in our

society. They are looked after by non

-profit organizations and volunteers,

but their resources are unfortunately

limited. There are too many irre-

sponsible animal owners who one

day decide to get rid of their pets.

People are not aware of the impor-

tance of sterilization, which is why

often unwanted animal babies are

abandoned. Fortunately, there are

organizations that work hard every

day to help those who are unable to

help themselves.

„Stawiamy na łapy”, which transla-

tes into „Get cats on their feet

(paws)”, is a charity that focuses on

helping cats. It was founded in 2006

and is based in Krakow. Their main

goal is to provide shelter for abando-

ned and homeless cats. They place

cats without an owner in temporary

homes of volunteers after taking care

of their health and well-being. The

organization enjoys the presence of

a professional photographer who

helps them to take pictures of cats,

then publish them on the official

website to attract potential adopters.

The context of the adoptive person is

also very thoroughly checked to re-

duce the risk of the cats being left

again on the street. The organization

has one intern, one employee and

120 volunteers, of whom twenty are

professional photographers.

The interview with Ewa and

Helena - volunteers from

„Stawiamy na Łapy”

How does a typical day of a volun-

teer look like?

Being a volunteer is an extraordi-

nary job. Each day is different from

the previous one. There is no work

schedule or fixed working days.

Sometimes there is

a need to take care of

the sick, and on other

days simply to feed

them and clean up

after them. It takes

a lot of free time, but it

has become an impor-

tant part of our every-

day life.

Do you check the

background of poten-

tial adopters?

Yes, we have a very

complex procedure.

First of all, we meet

a family who wants to

adopt an animal. Then

we check their house

to make sure it is safe

for the animal. Finally, we check

whether the family can provide an

appropriate standard of living for

the animals.

What about your plans for the fu-

ture?

At the moment the most important

goal for us is to open a new shelter

and hospital for animals. We are also

planning the development of our

online store, which is the main

source of revenue in our organiza-

tion. We also try to cooperate with

the state.

What are the main problems in

your organization?

Lack of resources, like money and

time, is our main problem. We do

not have enough time to help every-

one.

How many cats are there in tempo-

rary homes at the moment?

In the organization, there are 144

inhabitants. It is the beginning of the

kitten season which means that the

number will be increasing soon.

Are there any similar groups to

yours in Poland?

Yes, there are many organizations

that work with abandoned animals,

but Stawiamy na Łapy is by far the

biggest in Krakow.

Do the cats have to be sterilized

before adoption?

Most of the grown-up cats are steril-

ized immediately after they are

brought to the shelter, but if a kitten

is adopted before it turns five

months, the adopter is obliged to

sign a contract which makes them

responsible for having the cat steril-

ized right before it becomes older

than five months.

Being a volunteer is about giving,

contributing, helping other individu-

als and the community. This act of

service can change the lives of others

and become an example for future

generations of volunteers! It can also

help you in many ways but mostly

because the more you give the hap-

pier you feel. Volunteering is really

beneficial because it makes you gain

experience and increases self-

satisfaction and at the same time

reduces stress. Besides, you can con-

nect with other people and learn

a lot from different situations. Vol-

unteering is a free way to feel good

about yourself.

More information

MADE IN KRAKÓW

YEUROPE TIMES

13 Kraków 2019

MADE IN KRAKÓW

“What can you do for me?” - Mother Earth

Shop in thrift shops.

Have you ever thought about how

much your shirt or pants really cost?

You may not know that some

brands, even the popular ones, use

child labour to pay less for produc-

tion. In the US, the cost of making

a T-shirt is $ 13.22, but the produc-

tion of the same T-shirt in Bangla-

desh would cost only $ 3.72. To

avoid abusing employees, we can

buy used clothes in stores instead of

buying new ones. You can find good

quality items for a lower price, and

most of them are more unique.

Buy local food.

You probably go shopping in large

supermarkets, because you can find

everything in one place. You can

buy both avocado and tent. But do

you really know how harmful it is to

the environment?

In the conducted research, it was

found that chain supermarkets have

a more efficient distribution chain

than local stores. When we take into

account the time of delivery, costs

and quality of services, there is no

doubt that this statement is true, but

in terms of CO2 emissions, the mat-

ter is not so simple. The distribution

chain in which the recipients are

local stores shows a lower level of

carbon dioxide emissions, and this is

mainly because they are locally sup-

plied, and yet, the shorter the trans-

port time, the lower the emission.

For this reason, the majority of ac-

tivities are aimed at limiting the

number of kilometres driven as part

of the delivery of goods to stores

through the better filling of trucks,

and thus by limiting their number.

What's more, local stores create

many workplaces. A supermarket

employee does what 10 employees

of local stores do. And finally, you

are treated more personally than in

the supermarket.

Use public transport.

You probably drive a car because it

is the fastest and the most conven-

ient means of transport. But how

does this translate into the environ-

ment? One bus produces fumes

which are equal to the number pro-

duced by 40 cars and one metro to

400 cars. You can save time in traffic

when you cycle, park wherever you

want and help improve air quality.

Watch out for plastic.

What can you do? First of all, when

you go shopping - do not use plastic.

It is better to choose paper that is

environmentally friendly and in ad-

dition useful and synthetic. Sec-

ondly, support companies that pro-

tect your environment. One of the

largest companies came up with the

idea that if you buy 5 chocolates,

you can plant one tree. This method

is really functional. In addition to

absorbing carbon dioxide from the

air, it improves your mood.

Eat fewer animal products.

Consuming smaller amounts of ani-

mal products has a huge impact on

environmental protection. You do

not have to completely remove meat

and dairy products from a diet but

just eat less of them. This will reduce

the amount of CO2 emissions. It is

also important to carefully check

where the meat we buy is from. It is

better to get them from local farmers

than from large mass companies.

Meat production is also a waste: to

produce 1 kg of beef, you need 15

litres of water, and on the other

hand, you need only 250 ml of water

to produce 1 kg of potatoes. The

same problem applies to the amount

of land used to produce meat: 44

million square kilometres are used

to produce meat, but only 11 million

for growing vegetables. For this rea-

son, we are now facing a problem in

which less and less agricultural land

is used to feed people. Another

problem is deforestation of rainfor-

ests, such as Amazonas and Luzon.

Trees are cut there to make more

space for animals. This leads to the

extinction of animals, and even more

CO2 gets into the atmosphere. Also

during the process of deforestation

tons of carbon dioxide emissions get

into the air. Meat can also be quite

expensive: for example, third world

countries face serious poverty, being

unable to provide good quality meat

to their families. Still, low-quality

meat causes many health problems,

such as cancer, heart disease, as well

as heart attacks. It is important,

therefore, not to be vegan but to

think about our only Earth when we

do the shopping!

YEUROPE TIMES

14 Kraków 2019

CULTURE & SCIENCE

Architecture for a cleaner world

Here we’ll explain the bases

of a sustainable architecture.

The sustainable architecture searches

to use only techniques and materials

that respect the environment during

the construction and the collection of

materials, it also seeks to minimize

the negative impact on the world,

using different types of energy and

the space of development.

The most common materials in this

technique are:

Wood

Stone

Concrete

Steel

Plywood

Iron

Bars

All these materials are recycled, usu-

ally the most used is wood. With

this method the reduction of energy

increases. Instead of making a whole

new building, the architects renew

old infrastructures adapting them to

the modern requirements. In un-

developed countries, most construc-

tions uses debris from demolished

buildings, or sometimes even from

trash to build new ones.

This kind of buildings usually con-

sume renewable energies like wind

power or solar energy. Another way

to decrease the energy used is by

making the building more efficient

with the materials used, for example

using insulating materials to reduce

the loss of heat, or working with the

location characteristics like natural

light or air circulation.

Another important point is the water

consumption. One way to have

a better water-saving system is by

reusing the water used by some

devices in the house like the sink by

straining it. It is also very common

to use treated water or rain water.

The ECO architecture main goal is to

reduce the energy waste and to cre-

ate a self-sufficient buil-

ding but all this incre-

ases the final price. On

the other hand, the extra

price paid is money inve-

sted in a more efficient

and greener world.

Òscar Muñoz,

Arnau Riera, Jan Núñez

YEUROPE TIMES

15 Kraków 2019

CULTURE & SCIENCE

We cannot turn a blind eye to the truth

The movie ‘An Inconvenient Truth’

is a documentary film directed by

Davis Guggenheim and addresses

the problem of global warming. In

the main role of the documentary,

we can see former United States Vice

President Al Gore. He guides us

through the hard truth behind the

global climate change and how the

world has changed since the rise of

carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Al

Gore clearly sees the danger behind

this major problem. By showing his

presentations worldwide, he tries to

change the mindset of the people

and is willing to make them recogni-

ze how far we have already gone

down the wrong road without thin-

king about any consequences.

After watching the whole documen-

tary, I felt strange and disappointed

about our society and about ourse-

lves, especially because this movie is

15 years old!

How could we let the problem of

global warming go that far without

taking any actions? Why did I not

notice earlier how serious it is and

what consequences it could have for

the world if we keep on watching?

Not only do the people suffer under

the consequences of climate change,

also our animals and our planet

have to endure the effects. But who

is to blame for the global warming

and the rise of CO2 emissions? WE –

the people. It is the fault of the who-

le population. We are unable to re-

alise what we are about to destroy.

Modern developments mean a gro-

wing global population and our

ignorance of the problem will con-

sequently make us dig our own

grave. When we consider the deve-

lopment of our technologies through

time, we can clearly see that our

guns, our nutrition, and our luxu-

rious lifestyle have had a negative

impact on our environment. All the-

se new products and developments

help us by simplifying our lives, but

also destroy our planet.

New inventions cause increased CO2

emissions and more pollutants

which lead to global warming. But

not only our progress through the

centuries has changed our planet,

also the growth of the world’s popu-

lation seems to have a big influence

on the global warming. Every hour,

the world’s population grows by

10.000 people and they all need fo-

od, water, clothes, a home, and

much more for a normal life. So, we

need to find a way to give everybo-

dy a chance to live a happy and ca-

refree life. To give everybody the

chance to work and own money, we

have to build more and more buil-

dings. To give everybody food, we

kill more and more animals. To give

everybody a home, we chop down

our forests. And in the end, who

suffers from our wasteful lifestyle?

Correct: our planet. The worst aspect

about all those reasons why we are

the ones who destroy this planet is

that we are uninformed. We all

know there is a climate change and

we all know that something like

a global warming is real, but no one

seems to be interested in solving the

problem. A problem that can cost

our lives.

In conclusion, I can say the only way

to save our planet is to reconsider

our way of life. We all know there is

a major issue and we all know that it

can only be solved by ourselves. If

all the great powers of the world

joined forces together and discussed

the real problem, we could win the

war against ourselves. But this will

only happen when we are all ready

to overthink our habits, to renounce

our luxury to be prepared for chan-

ging the world into a place where no

generation has to fear their future.

Janina Gutschmidt

More information

YEUROPE TIMES

16 Kraków 2019

Wielka Orkiestra Świątecznej Pomo-

cy (WOŚP) - The Great Orchestra of

Christmas Charity (GOCC) is the

biggest, non-governmental, non-

profit, charity organization in Po-

land. This foundation was esta-

blished on 2 March 1993 by Jerzy

Owsiak and others, so in March 2019

we celebrated the 26th anniversary

of founding the GOCC. The Founda-

tion aims to support health care in

Poland by the purchase of state of

the art medical equipment for Polish

hospitals and clinics and by establis-

hing and running six medical pro-

grammes and one educational pro-

gramme. This GOCC supports pe-

diatric and geriatric wards, furnis-

hing them with both complex medi-

cal devices such as MRI scanners,

and providing long-

term care units with

anti bedsore mattresses

and beds.

It works throughout the

year, however, the most

known form of its ac-

tivity is the annual, na-

tionwide (and not only

e.g. Georgia, China, and

Australia, everywhere

where the Poles live)

e v e n t c a l l e d t h e

WOŚP Finale. Music concerts, auc-

tions, cultural and sports events take

place all over Poland. Income from

these events is allocated to the fou-

ndation's goals. More and more peo-

ple are helping each year. In 2019 we

gathered almost 190 million PLN.

All schools In Poland take part in

GOCC. Also, our high school partici-

pated this year in the final of this

event. All students and teachers

gave some stuff to action and then

were bought by our school commu-

nity to support the GOCC.

Curiosity: This year, a pack of pasta

went for PLN 300 (70,11 EUR)

Wiktoria Kasperczyk

More information

A sea of plastic

Summer is arriving and all of us are

looking forward to swimming in

a clear sparkling sea. But... be aware

of...sharks? No, be aware of plastic!

In fact, nowadays, pollution is one of

the most demanding issues, and

overall the impact of plastic in oce-

ans and seas. Water covers more

than 70% of Mother Earth, and it is

entirely polluted by nearly 250 thou-

sand tons of plastic.

So, researchers and scientists from

all over the world are trying to find

new and different ways to reduce

the quantity of waste in waters.

Here are some of the possible ways

that could help to clean the seas.

Bacterias. There are some kinds of

bacterias (Ideonella Sakaiensis and

Galleria Mellonella) which eat

microplastic in the sea. This is the

most natural and direct solution,

however, these bacterias can only eat

a small amount of microplastic; mo-

reover, the sea is polluted overall by

bottles, plastic bags and fishing nets,

which obviously bacterias are not

able to eat.

System 001. This is a new techno-

When hearts grow bigger

CULTURE & SCIENCE

YEUROPE TIMES

17 Kraków 2019

Student companies

A student company is an entrepre-

neurship study programme for

upper-secondary school students,

which promotes studying through

active marketing, leadership and

communication. Students get the

opportunity to create a new product,

service or improve a product that is

already on the market. Every stu-

dent company has the chance to par-

ticipate in fairs and events where

they can introduce and sell their pro-

duct. Furthermore, lots of useful

skills are adapted during this whole

learning process. The programme

operates for one academic year and

it is coordinated by Junior Achieve-

ment Estonia.

In Form 11, we have a compulsory

subject that involves either making

a student company or a research

paper. I had decided to make on

a student company already in Form

10.

My team had come up with an idea

to transform a known Estonian treat

from a grocery store to a luxuries

dessert served in cafes and restau-

rants. Our product is a curd snack,

known in Estonian as “kohuke”. It is

made out of organic curd, similar to

cottage cheese, and covered with

dark chocolate. My student compa-

ny Glaze produces curd snacks with

various and mouth-watering flavo-

ur s : “Ras pb er r y - m arz ip an ” ,

“Cookies & Cream”, “Tiramisu”,

“Vegan Snickers” and many more.

But the most important aspect of our

product is biodegradability. Curd

snacks are usually packaged into

foil, which leaves a toxic mark in our

environment. Our packaging is fully

biodegradable: the pack is made out

of cardboard, the spoon is wooden

and the curd disappears without

a trace... Ultimately, there is nothing

left of it. We are proud to say that

our product is environmentally

friendly and sustainable.

Our company has now won multiple

awards for best teamwork and best

product. Moreover, a competition,

called “Estonia´s best student com-

pany” is held yearly and from over

400 different companies, my student

company Glaze got an honourable

third place. Due to our popularity

and loyal customers, we are now

known all around Estonia.

Mia Emilie Valtenberg

logy invented by Boyan Slat, a 23

years old guy from the Netherlands,

in order to accumulate plastic aro-

und the Great Pacific Garbage Patch,

so that it can be easily removed. The

idea consists in setting a huge hor-

seshoe-shaped floating tube on the

ocean, in order to collect the garba-

ge. This project has been launched at

the beginning of September 2018,

but unfortunately the system has

been damaged so at the moment it is

still not working.

Plastic Sea Swiper. This Italian pro-

ject proposes to fix a system of nylon

nets at the rivers' mouth to collect

plastic before it pollutes the sea.

Since none of these possible solu-

tions is not managing to reduce the

amount of waste in the seas, many

governments in Europe and all over

the world are starting to reduce the

use of plastic, by banning some ob-

jects, like bags, straws, cups, bottles

and so on.

Why is this material such a big pro-

blem for the environment? Well, first

of all, because it is used in huge qu-

antities. Moreover this material is

indestructible; in fact, it can only be

reduced in very little parts

(microplastics), but these last will

forever rest in the seas, where they

are ingested by fishes, and consequ-

ently eaten by us. So, in the end, it is

not a problem that concerns only the

ocean and his ecosystem, but this

directly affects also humans.

Petra Camilli

CULTURE & SCIENCE

YEUROPE TIMES

18 Kraków 2019

LEISURE & ENTERTAINMENT

Interview with Ludovico Cantisani

„Ludovico Cantisani is a precocious

independant scholar of comparative

narrations and modern philosophy.

He is currently working on several

essays of movie criticism or psy-

choanalisis and has directed six

short-running features. In the follo-

wing months is scheduled the first

ciak of his first movie feature, na-

med "eros civilization dreams and

nightmares", about the concept of

female and the concept of sacrifice.

Penelopes is a sort of reharsal befo-

re eros.”

(https://it.ulule.com/penelopes-2/)

Hi Ludovico! When did your pas-

sion for cinema start?

I’ve always watched many films sin-

ce I was little. At the age of 3, I was

really into the Aristocats, than it was

the time of Jurassic Park, King Kong,

and so on. I dreamed to become

a filmmaker one day. While growing

up I got to know the movies of Tar-

kovskij, Bergman, and Lars Von

Trier, who undoubtedly are the

directors I most admire.

When did you first realize you

wanted to write a movie?

I wrote many scripts when I was 7

years old. They were all remakes of

films such as Godzilla. My first wor-

th screenplay belongs to my 13eens.

I began to write “eros civilization

nights and dreamers” script last Ju-

ly.

What about your interest in philo-

sophy and psychoanalysis? How

did they influence your works?

These two fields of knowledge really

helped me. Reading Nietzsche and

Jung allowed me to overcome the

hard moments of loneliness and iso-

lation while giving me inspiration

and many brilliant insights. The title

itself comes from an essay of the

German philosopher Herbert Marcu-

se, and the film could be devised as

a tribute to Freud, 80 years after his

death. Nevertheless, after the eleven-

th script drafting, I managed to avo-

id explicit references to these thin-

kers, for they would have undermin-

ed the authenticity and originality of

my work.

Where did you find the energy to

pursue your project? Which has

been the hardest moment?

I’ve always had strong will power,

that’s part of my temper. In the be-

ginning, it’s been very hard for me

trying to involve my peers in the

project, without getting people to

take me seriously. I was mocked by

everyone because of my ideas and

plans. As soon as I got to know ma-

ny actors and adult professionals,

the situation capsized… I’m really

thankful to Giordano Petri, the actor

who introduced me to the world of

filmmaking, presenting me many of

his valiant colleagues. One of the

most important Italian directors of

photography has just joined the gro-

up: Luciano Tovoli will help me sho-

oting “Penelopes”, a short inspired

from James Joyce, and “eros civiliza-

tion nights and dreamers” teaser.

What’s the aim of your work?

In my opinion, today’s cinema fails

to a psychological description of the

characters, being unable to provide

mimesis of the human mind. Stream

of consciousness is a fundamental

element of my works. In “eros civili-

zation nights and dreamers” we will

try to depict directly on the screen

the protagonist Elettra mourning the

loss of her daughter, entering her id.

I simply want to launch the twenty-

first century’s cinematography in the

best way.

Jacopo Pragliola

More about Ludovico’s work

YEUROPE TIMES

19 Kraków 2019

LEISURE & ENTERTAINMENT

Vegan Lemon Cake

Being vegan has a major positive

impact: it means doing something

good for both, the animals and your

own body, but also for the environ-

ment. A huge part of our rainforest

been – and is still being – deforested

to provide space for livestock far-

ming and their food. More than 83%

of the total agricultural area is used

for this purpose. This is the greatest

threat to the rest of the rainforest

and the fact that so much forest is

being cleared also harms the climate.

But that is not all that contributes to

climate change: 51% of greenhouse

gases emitted worldwide come from

livestock farming. This is more than

what is caused by cars, airplanes,

etc. all over the world.

And all of that for the sake of many

selfish people who cannot do witho-

ut their daily piece of sausage or

who think that a single person can-

not change anything anyway. Ho-

wever, this mindset will not change

anything. Anybody can help by

changing their lives: live more susta-

inably and vegan – or at least vege-

tarian – nutrition is one option. That

does not mean that salad should be

your only food. There are lots of

things you can cook vegan with; ma-

ny alternatives to cheese made from

cow’s milk or meat, and some you

can hardly tell a difference. Even on

the menu of McDonald’s, there is

a completely vegan burger now. He-

re is an example for a vegan alterna-

tive: a recipe for a vegan lemon cake

(10 pieces):

Sponge mixture:

229 1/6 g of flour

166 2/3 g of sugar

1 2/3 teaspoon of baking powder

5/6 teaspoon of baking soda

5/6 tablespoon of lemon zest

50 g of lemon juice

83 1/3 g of tasteless vegetable oil

141 2/3 ml of cold water

Icing

100 g of icing sugar

16 2/3 ml of water or lemon juice or vegetable milk (e. g. oat, soy or

rice milk)

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C top and bottom heat and cover a baking tray

with baking paper.

2. In a mixing bowl, mix the flour with the sugar, the baking powder, the

baking soda, and the grated lemon peel.

3. In a measuring cup, mix the lemon juice with the oil and the water.

Then pour the liquid ingredients into the mixing bowl to the dry ones

and mix everything together to a soft dough.

4. Pour the dough onto the baking tray and smooth it down. Bake it in

the preheated oven for about 20 minutes until it is golden brown.

5. Once it has cooled down, sieve the icing sugar and mix it with the wa-

ter to form the icing.

6. Pour it over the cake and smooth it down.

Bon appétit!

Sarah Suliman

YEUROPE TIMES

20 Kraków 2019

In large cities urban gardening is

becoming a very popular activity.

We are constantly seeing pictures of

rooftops from New York full of gre-

enery. But what is ecological urban

gardening exactly? Well, it’s all abo-

ut trying to challenge what seems to

be the impossible in an urban area

such as green spaces and fresh veg-

gies. In order to accomplish that,

many citizens are starting to plant

fruits and vegetables in their balco-

nies, rooftops and, those who have a

more limited space, alongside walls

creating vertical gardens. The main

goal is to do it in the most ecological

possible way, trying to avoid chemi-

cals and all the unhealthy stuff that

most of the fruits and vegetables we

consume contain.

Growing all types of fruits and veg-

gies in the middle of a concrete jun-

gle, where there aren’t many green

spaces nearby, has multiple advanta-

ges. It helps us to get in touch with

nature again making us more re-

laxed and aware of the need to take

care of the planet, however that’s

only the tip of the iceberg. Eco urban

gardens prevent us from eating ge-

netically modified food which is full

of pesticides and has a foreign ori-

gin. A great example of that are tho-

se bright red tomatoes we see at the

supermarket big and flawless. They

can’t be natural, nature isn’t perfect,

and those tomatoes must have been

the result of a tomato plant full of

hormones, which isn’t the best for

our health. Besides the magnificent

veggies we find at the supermarket

usually come with lots of plastic

wrapping. Every year we produce 15

tons of plastic wrapping for the food

we consume. Most of it ends up in

the sea, causing the death of many

marine living beings. On the bright

side, urban gardens cut down the

plastic waste to 0% because as we

plant everything we need nearby,

there’s no need to use any plastics to

transport the goods. But even if we

want to share our crops with our

friends and family, we can always

opt for cloth bags or recycled card-

board boxes.

The thing is that if we only do it our-

selves there’s not a huge impact on

the way we consume, however if all

the neighbours of a building agreed

on planting a different thing on their

respective balconies or creating

a huge urban garden on their roo-

ftop each one of them would benefit

from a huge variety of fresh fruits

and vegetables that have been

grown with a natural process.

Arnau Ramos, Laura Martínez

Ecological urban gardens

LEISURE & ENTERTAINMENT

YEUROPE TIMES

21 Kraków 2019

Polish summer festivals

Summer is a time of freedom, holi-

day and fun. Festivals that usually

take place at that time gather people

from all over Poland and from abro-

ad.

One of them, probably

the most popular, is

'Woodstock' - also called

"Pol’and’Rock’’ festival.

It takes place in August

and is known as the bi-

ggest open-air festival in

Europe. The festival is

associated with the foun-

dation of the Great Or-

chestra of Christmas

Charity, which mainly

supports hospitals with

medical equipment. The

main musical theme is

generally rock, but genres range

from folk through experimental to

metal and electronic music.

Another one, Opener Festival is the

biggest and the most diverse festival

in the north of Poland. Several hun-

dred Polish and foreign artists per-

form on it. Only this year, Lana del

Rey, G-Eazy and many others will

appear on the stage.

One which takes place in the capital

city, 'Orange Warsaw Festival' lasts

from 31 May to 2 of July. This fe-

stival is characterized by the fact

that mainly foreign stars of different

music styles appear on it. At pre-

sent, the main star is Miley Cyrus

who is one of the most famous pop

singer and icon of music. Apart from

Miley, Rita Ora, Troye Sivan and

The Raconteurs will perform.

Another valuable festival

that takes place in one of

the major cities in Poland is

Krakow Live Festival,

previously known as the

Coke Live Music Festival.

This music event lasts two

days and tends to feature

hip hop artists with a bow

to mainstream rock starts

recently.

In addition to the above

mentioned, there are smal-

ler festivals of colours, cu-

isine, beers, city days and many

others. That is why it is worth co-

ming for summer holidays to Po-

land.

Stefiania Andrzejewska

“Let’s do it”

“Let’s do it!” is an Estonian commu-

nity activity day. It started in 2008 as

people getting together and gather-

ing up any garbage but now it is

much more than that.

As it is stated on their own home

page: “the main purpose of the day

is to contribute to the civil society in

Estonia by promoting an active atti-

tude, strengthening local communi-

ties and supporting the development

of local leaders”. The activity, which,

for example, in 2017 consisted of

2130 different actions all around Es-

tonia, with around 52 650 partici-

pants, is getting bigger every year.

The activities are mainly about cle-

aning up garbage from the streets or

from around forested areas, getting

rid of fallen trees and can be as sim-

ple as weeding some town park. For

the last few years, even our school

has participated in “Let’s do it!” ac-

tivities. Every class is given a speci-

fic task they need to fulfill, for exam-

ple, weeding the school ground, ad-

ding more dirt and soil and planting

some flowers. Other tasks can be a

little worse, like scraping gum off

from beneath benches and tables,

but it is all done to make the school

cleaner for everyone.

I feel that the idea of “Let’s do it!” is

amazing, and I am proud of the peo-

ple who want to better the environ-

ment just because they care. “You do

not need to invent a new high-tech

tool to change the world. The expe-

rience of The Day of Civil Actions

shows that there is also no need for

tens of thousands of Euros to change

Estonian living environment - it is

enough to have tens of thousands of

Estonians who care," says the initia-

tor of Estonian action, Tarmo Tüür.

It’s great that this kind of activity

was founded, and I hope that it will

continue to grow on as it has so far.

As a matter of fact, “Let’s do it!” has

now grown into the international

event called World Cleanup Day. On

the 15th of September 2018 people in

150 countries stood up against the

global trash problem and clean up

waste, making it the biggest positive

civic action the world has seen.

Orm Tammemäe

LEISURE & ENTERTAINMENT

YEUROPE TIMES

22 Kraków 2019

LEISURE & ENTERTAINMENT

Dictionary of sustainable development

horizontally

1. Small piecesof plastic that pollute the environ-

ment.

5. The reuse of old materials.

7. Gases that damage the ozone layer.

8. A long term change of atmospheric temperature.

9. The removal of trees.

perpendicularly

2. The release of greenhouse gases by an individual,

event, organization, or product.

3. A state when the Earth is getting hotter and hotter.

4. The reuse of old materials into better things.

6. An energy obtained from inexhaustible natural

sources.

10. Not harmful to the environment.

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LEISURE & ENTERTAINMENT

© Ewelina Markowska